On 29 September 2023, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Law, Justice and Accountability published a report, produced by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, as part of the Tigray Inquiry, an inquiry into the situation in Tigray since November 2020. The Inquiry, chaired by Brendan O’Hara MP, and supported by Baroness Kennedy KC and Lord Alton of Liverpool, received an unprecedented amount of data, including testimonies from victims and witnesses from Tigray.
The Tigray Inquiry found that Tigrayans have been subjected to horrific atrocities during the war in the region between November 2020 and November 2022. Many of these atrocities are continuing to this day. Among the submissions received by the Inquiry, mass killings, sexual violence, and starvation were the most commonly identified crimes. The atrocities have not received enough international focus despite the war being one of the deadliest in recent years and the atrocities meeting the legal definition of international crimes.
The Tigray War in Numbers
600,000 – 800,000 people killed
Over 120,000 people subjected to conflict-related sexual violence
Over a million people internally displaced within Tigray
Over 60,000 Tigrayans fled Ethiopia to Sudan
About 2.3 million children remain out of school in northern Ethiopia
Thousands of people died due to starvation
Despite the ceasefire in November 2022, the situation of the communities is still dire. The ceasefire may have stopped the guns, but atrocities continue to be committed, including rape and sexual violence. The communities continue to face a humanitarian crisis which claims lives to this day. The destruction brought about by the war means that the communities will continue to feel the effects of the war for months and years to come.
The situation in Tigray requires urgent international attention. So far this has not been forthcoming despite the horrific reports of atrocity crimes in the region. The only remaining international body with the mandate to examine the situation, the International Commission of Experts on Ethiopia, will cease to exist over the next weeks, as its mandate is unlikely to be renewed.
Commenting on the Tigray Inquiry, Brendan O’Hara MP said: ‘The evidence received by the Tigray Inquiry sent a strong message that the atrocities are not over. We must act now – act to stop further atrocities but also to ensure that past atrocities are dealt with by competent courts.’
Lord Alton of Liverpool, the patron of the Coalition for Genocide Response, added: ‘As the 54th session of the Human Rights Council is to conclude soon, States have a week to ensure that a resolution renewing the mandate of the International Commission of Experts on Ethiopia is renewed and so allowed to continue its important monitoring, collection and preservation of evidence and analysis of the situation. It is very clear that the Government of Ethiopia is not equipped to do this.’
Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, the patron of the Coalition for Genocide Response, stressed the importance of justice and accountability to address the situation in Ethiopia: ‘Justice and accountability for the Tigray War are crucial for victims and survivors of the atrocities. However, it does not end there. Addressing past atrocities means also addressing a risk factor of future atrocities – as impunity always begets further crimes. Securing justice and accountability for Tigray and the whole of Ethiopia requires assistance from the international community.’The Tigray Inquiry report will be sent to all Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva with a call to renew the International Commission of Experts on Ethiopia over the next week.
Any questions about the report can be sent to: Dr Ewelina Ochab ewelina.ochab@int-bar.org.
